Sliding plug door gear

ABSTRACT

Sliding plug door gear comprises at least one stationary track for guiding the door leaf in its plugging and longitudinal movement, and at least one support which is in sliding engagement with the door leaf for supporting the latter and is movable with the door leaf during the lateral inwards and outwards plugging movement of the door leaf. A preferred arrangement comprises a horizontal support bar carried by at least two arms each pivotable about a respective vertical axis so as to form substantially a parallelogram linkage; the stationary guide track for guiding the or each door leaf in its sliding and plug movement; and at least one support element fast with the support bar and in sliding engagement with the or a respective door leaf and so disposed as to remain in supporting engagement with its door leaf throughout the longitudinal movement of the door leaf; door-actuating means being mounted on the support bar.

United States Patent 1 Simmons SLIDING PLUG DOOR GEAR [75] Inventor: Edward George Simmons,

Shepperton, England [73] Assignee: PLC Engineering Company Limited,

England [22] Filed: June 6, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 476,883

[ Foreign Application Priority Data June 7, 1973 United Kingdom 27226/73 [52] U.S. Cl. 49/212; 49/223; 49/225; 49/360 51 1nt.Cl. E05D 15/10 58 FieldofSearch ..49/212-215, 49/223, 225, 3 60 [111 3,906,668 1 1 Sept. 23, 1975 844,355 4/1939 France 49/212 Primary E.\'aminerl(enncth Downey Attorney. Agent, or Firm-ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen [57] ABSTRACT Sliding plug door gear comprises at least one stationary track for guiding the door leaf in its plugging and longitudinal movement, and at least one support which is in sliding engagement with the door leaf for supporting the latter and is movable with the door leaf during the lateral inwards and outwards plugging movement of the door leaf. A preferred arrangement comprises a horizontal support bar carried by at least two arms each pivotable about a respective vertical axis so as to form substantially a parallelogram linkage; the stationary guide track for guiding the or each door leaf in its sliding and plug movement; and at least one support element fast with the support bar and in sliding engagement with the or a respective door leaf and so disposed as to remain in supporting engagement with its door leaf throughout the longitudinal movement of the door leaf; door-actuating means being mounted on the support bar.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of 3 3,906,668

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,906,668

US Patent Sept.--23,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,906,668

SLIDING PLUG DOOR GEAR This invention relates to sliding plug door gear, mainly but not exclusively for vehicles such as railway coaches and buses. In operation, sliding plug door gear moves the or each door leaf bodily outwards or inwards (plugging movement) from a closed position, in which it is usually flush with the exterior of the vehicle, and then parallel to the side of the vehicle to leave the entrance clear. The door leaf remains substantially parallel to the side of the vehicle throughout its movement and consequently very little clearance is required outside the vehicle to permit operation of the door.

Known design of sliding plug door gear are bulky and may obstruct the door opening, and do not necessarily move the door leaf completely clear of the door opening. Difficulties are also encountered in supporting the door leaf adequately during its plugging and sliding movements.

An object of the invention is to provide sliding plug door gear which is compact, leaves the door opening substantially unobstructed, and ensures adequate support for the door leaf.

According to the present invention, sliding plug door gear comprises as least one stationary track for guiding the door leaf in its plugged and longitudinal movement, and at least one support which is in sliding engagement with the door leaf for supporting the latter and is moveable with the door leaf during the lateral inwards and outwards plugging movement of the door leaf.

In one arrangement, the support is capable of limited pivoting movement bodily about a substantially vertical axis when the door leaf moves inwards or outwards.

In one particularly convenient arrangement, there is provided for the door leaf, or for a pair of bi-parting door leaves, a horizontal support bar carried by at least two arms each pivotable about a respective vertical axis so as to form substantially a parallelogram linkage; the stationary guide track for guiding the or each door leaf in its sliding and plug movement; and at least one sup port element fast with the support bar and in sliding engagement with the or a respective door leaf and so disposed as to remain in supporting engagement with its door leaf throughout the longitudinal movement of the door leaf; door-actuating means being mounted on the support bar. Such an arrangement operates as follows. To open the door leaf or leaves, a longitudinal force is applied by the actuating means. The guiding track or tracks cause the door leaf or leaves to move laterally inwards or outwards initially and then longitudinally. During the initial inwards or outwards movement, the said arms pivot and the support bar moves in an inwards or outwards direction, remaining at all times in engagement with the door leaf or leaves. Subsequently the or each leaf moves longitudinally, being supported in this movement by the support element or elements provided on the support bar. During the opening movement, the or each support element is effectively traversed by substantially the entire width of the associated door leaf.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of door gear embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the upper part of said door gear, seen from the interior of a vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the upper part of the door gear, on the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a corresponding cross section through a lower portion of the door gear; and

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the door gear of FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate sympathetic bi-parting door gear fitted to a railway coach, one side of which is indicated at 32 in FIGS. 1 and 3. A door opening in the coach side is normally closed by flush door leaves 10, l 1. For convenience, the edge of the leaves which meet when the door is closed will be called the front edges 41, and the edges which adjoin the edges of the door opening when the door is closed will be referred to as the rear edges 42. These edges of the door leaves are provided with rubber sealing strips, and the sealing strips 43 on the front edges are made hollow, as is conventional, to avoid injury to passengers or objects inadvertently trapped therebetween, and may include sensing devices for automatically opening the door if a person or object is trapped. The open position of the door leaves are indicated in broken lines and it will be seen that each door leaf is parallel to and spaced slightly outwards from the side of the coach, leaving substantially the entire width of the door aperture open. To reach the open position, each door leaf moves initially outwards in an arcuate path, remaining however parallel to the side of the coach, until it is clear of the coach side, and then moves longitudinally parallel to the coach side. This movement is reversed to close the doors.

To guide the door leaves in their opening and closing movement, respective upper guide channels l2, 13 are mounted in the coach above the door opening, on the underside of a support plate 14. Each door leaf has on its inner side, at the top of its front edge, an upwardly extending bracket 6 or 7 carrying at its upper end a roller 8, 9 on a vertical pin. The roller fits in the corresponding guide channel as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each guide channel has an arcuate inner end portion 44 adjacent to the centre of the door opening, and a long straight main portion 45 parallel to the coach side. Consequently, if a force is applied to a door leaf in the longitudinal direction of the coach, the door leaf will be constrained to move between its open and closed positions as described above.

To support the door leaves and an actuating pneu matic cylinder 31 for these, a T-section support bar 1 parallel to the coach side is disposed inside the coach above the door opening. This support bar is carried by four swinging arms 2 which form a parallelogram linkage. Each arm is mounted by a vertical pivot pin 36 on the support plate 14 and is connected to the support bar by a second vertical pivot pin 37. Consequently, by swinging movement of the arms the support bar 1 can move inwards and outwards relative to the door opening while remaining parallel to the coach side.

The support bar carries, for each door leaf, a respective support bracket 15, 16, each positioned just within the confines of the door opening, in other words adjacent to the rear edges of the door leaves, in the closed position, Each of these support brackets carries at its I outboard end a roller l7, l8 pivotable about a horizontal axis 46 perpendicular to the coach side, and slidably engaged in a horizontal track 19 or 20 provided on the respective door leaf adjacent to and parallel to the horizontal upper edge 47 of the door leaf.

' As explained above, when the door leaves are moved from the closed to the open position, each is constrained to follow a path which initially is arcuate, so as to move the door leaf laterally outwards, and then extends parallel to the coach side. The tracks 19, 20 are so shaped that the rollers l7, 18 are in lateral as well as vertical engagement with them. Consequently, when the door leaves move outwards the support brackets 15, 16 and hence the support bar 1 move outwards with them, this movement being permitted by swinging of the arms 2. During the longitudinal movement of the door leaves, the tracks 19, 20 slide along the respective rollers l7, 18, whose points of engagement with the door leaves therefore move from the rear edges to the front edges of the door leaves, The weight of the door leaves is therefore supported at all times by the support bar 1. During closing movement, the above sequence of events is reversed, the support bar initially remaining in its outwardly swung position while the door leaves more longitudinally towards one another, and then swinging back to its initial position as the door leaves move laterally into the door opening.

Each door leaf is further supported by and coupled to the'support bar by a slide member 4, 5 secured to the respective door leaf bracket 6 or 7. Each slide member is provided withballs 33 which laterally and vertically engage upper and lower grooves in the slide member and in a ball track 3 fixed to the support bar. The brackets 6 and 7 are fixed to the door leaves adjacent to the front edges of these and consequently, in the closed position, each door leaf is supported at its front edge-41 by the bracket 6 or 7, and at its rear edge 42 by the bracket or 16.

However, in the open position each door leaf is supported only at the top of its front edge and it might therefore tend to sag at its rear edge. To avoid this, we provide support'tracks 48 at the bottom of the door opening as illustrated in FIG. 4. To assist in guiding the door leaf, the track illustrated in FIG. 4 has an upper channel portion 24 of the same shape as the corresponding upper guide channel 12 (or 13), engaged by an upwardly projecting roller 22 mounted on a vertical pin 49'carried by a bracket 21 mounted on the inside of the lower portion of the door leaf. The bracket 21 also carries on a horizontal pivot pin 50 a support roller 23 which during at least part of the movement of the door leaf rests on a horizontal support trach 25; conve niently, the support track 25 is arranged so as to be engaged by the roller 23 as soon as the door leaf has completed its initial outwards movement during opening, and supports the roller through the longitudinal movement of the door leaf during both opening and closing.

A support track 48 is provided at least for the rear edge of each door leaf; preferably, a support track 48 and associated lower guide channel 24 is provided for each edge of each door leaf, that is, for tracks in all.

The doors are operated by the pneumatic cylinder 31 which is mounted on top of the support bar and whose piston rod 34 is coupled to a clamp member 29 which is integral with or fastened to the bracket 6. This clamp member 29 is clamped to the inner run of an endless belt 26, preferably toothed, which passes round pulleys 27, 28 rotatable on vertical pins at respective ends of the support bar. The outer run of the belt 26 is fixed to a second-clamping member 30 which is integral with or attached to the bracket 7. Consequently, when the piston rod 34 is extended, the belt is moved so as to open the door leaves, and to close the door leaves the piston rod is retracted, the door leaves moving simultaneously in opposite directions in each case.

Alternatively, separate door actuators may be pro- 5 vided for each leaf. The door gear can also be used for a single leaf door. In this case, only the left hand or right hand half of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be used, and the actuator can be connected directly to the door leaf or a bracket thereof, the endless belt being omitted.

The invention is also applicable to inward-opening doors, with suitable modification of the shape of the guide tracks (12, 13 and 24).

Other forms of actuator can of course be used, e.g. an electric motor and gear box driving a belt pulley, for a single or double leaf door, or a lead screw arrangement.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative arrangement in which each arm 2, instead of being pivoted directly on a fixed supporting structure, is pivoted to a further arm 2A by means of the vertical pivot 36. The pivots 36 are interconnected by a link 38 to form a parallelogram linkage with the arms 2 and support bar 1. Each arm 2A is attached to fixed support structure, e.g. a support plate 14 as in FIG. 3, or the coach wall, by a bracket 39 to which the arm 2A is pivoted by a vertical pivot pin 40: thus, arms 2A and link 38 form a second parallelogram linkage. Arms 2 are preferably equal in length to arms 2A. With this arrangement the bar 1 can still move laterally with the door leaf or leaves but its longitudinal movement is eliminated and it remains parallel to the coach side.

The mechanism described have a number of advantages. The door aperture in the coach side need be very little wider than the opening required for access by passengers. The or each door leaf is adequately supported at all four corners, especially in the closed position. The entire mechanism is extremely compact.

I claim:

l. Sliding plug door gear for guiding a door leaf in its plugging and longitudinal movement with respect to an opening that is closable by said door leaf, said door gear comprising:

at least one door leaf to be slid; a first stationary track that is supported stationary with respect to the opening; said first track having a generally longitudinal portion that extends in a direction across the opening and that is generally parallel to said door leaf; said first track having at one end thereof an oblique end portion, oblique to the orientation of said door leaf and said first track longitudinal portion; said door leaf being in engagement with said first track, such that movement of said door leaf longitudinally of itself is guided by said first track; a horizontal support bar oriented generally parallel to said first track longitudinal portion; parallelogram linkage means supported in a fixed location with respect to the opening and carrying said support bar for enabling generally horizontal transverse movement of said support bar, as caused by the shape of said first track; an actuator carried by said support bar and connected with said door leaf for effecting the longitudinal movement of said door leaf that is guided by said first track;

a longitudinal second track carried by said door leaf;

first connecting means on said support bar in engagement with said second track both vertically and laterally;

a longitudinal third track on said support bar; second connecting means on said door leaf in engagement with said third track;

both said first and second connecting means being so disposed as to remain in engagement with the respective said second and third tracks throughout movement of said door leaf.

2. Sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first connecting means comprises a roller member laterally engaging said second track on said door leaf, said roller being for moving said support bar horizontally and transversely in sympathy with said door leaf during plugging movement of said door leaf.

3. Sliding plug door gear as climed in claim 1 wherein said parallelogram linkage means comprises a plurality of arms, each pivoted on stationary supporting means that are stationary with respect to the opening.

4. Sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said parallelogram linkage means comprises a plurality of arms, each pivotally connected on a respective further arm and each said further arm being pivotable about a stationary vertical pivot, a link being provided for joining said further arms, whereby said further arms form a further paralellogram linkage.

5. Sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first-mentioned said arms are substantially equal in length to said further arms.

6. In combination, a sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 1 and a vehicle having a door opening; said plug door gear being installed in said vehicle above the top of said door opening; a door-leaf support track being provided adjacent to the bottom of said door opening and being engageable with said door leaf for supporting said door leaf.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein said door leaf support track comprises a guide track shaped and positioned for guiding said door leaf in its plugging and longitudinal movement. 

1. Sliding plug door gear for guiding a door leaf in its plugging and longitudinal movement with respect to an opening that is closable by said door leaf, said door gear comprising: at least one door leaf to be slid; a first stationary track that is supported stationary with respect to the opening; said first track having a generally longitudinal portion that extends in a direction across the opening and that is generally parallel to said door leaf; said first track having at one end thereof an oblique end portion, oblique to the orientation of said door leaf and said first track longitudinal portion; said door leaf being in engagement with said first track, such that movement of said door leaf longitudinally of itself is guided by said first track; a horizontal support bar oriented generally parallel to said first track longitudinal portion; parallelogram linkage means supported in a fixed location with respect to the opening and carrying said support bar for enabling generally horizontal transverse movement of said support bar, as caused by the shape of said first track; an actuator carried by said support bar and connected with said door leaf for effecting the longitudinal movement of said door leaf that is guided by said first track; a longitudinal second track carried by said door leaf; first connecting means on said support bar in engagement with said second track both vertically and laterally; a longitudinal third track on said support bar; second connecting means on said door leaf in engagement with said third track; both said first and second connecting means being so disposed as to remain in engagement with the respective said second and third tracks throughout movement of said door leaf.
 2. Sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first connecting means comprises a roller member laterally engaging said second track on said door leaf, said roller being for moving said support bar horizontally and transversely in sympathy with said door leaf during plugging movement of said door leaf.
 3. Sliding plug door gear as climed in claim 1 wherein said parallelogram linkage means compRises a plurality of arms, each pivoted on stationary supporting means that are stationary with respect to the opening.
 4. Sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said parallelogram linkage means comprises a plurality of arms, each pivotally connected on a respective further arm and each said further arm being pivotable about a stationary vertical pivot, a link being provided for joining said further arms, whereby said further arms form a further paralellogram linkage.
 5. Sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first-mentioned said arms are substantially equal in length to said further arms.
 6. In combination, a sliding plug door gear as claimed in claim 1 and a vehicle having a door opening; said plug door gear being installed in said vehicle above the top of said door opening; a door-leaf support track being provided adjacent to the bottom of said door opening and being engageable with said door leaf for supporting said door leaf.
 7. The combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein said door leaf support track comprises a guide track shaped and positioned for guiding said door leaf in its plugging and longitudinal movement. 